Syrian al-Qaida forces mass near Turkey crossing

November 3, 2014 12:53 PM

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BEIRUT (AP) — Al-Qaida militants massed Monday near a Syrian border town in what appeared to be an attempt to seize a vital crossing from Western-backed rebels, activists said, underscoring the weakness of the fighters America hopes could be a moderate force in the chaotic civil war.

The move by the Nusra Front to potentially take the Bab al-Hawa crossing came after the militants overran towns and villages this week held by Western-backed groups in the northwestern Idlib province. Reports later emerged that some fighters of those groups pledged allegiance to the al-Qaida group.